That dollar amount results from a 39.4% increase compared to $980.1 million 5 years earlier in 2020.
Year over year, the overall value of products exported from Togo reduced by -6.2% versus $1.46 billion starting from 2023.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, Togo uses the West African CFA franc which depreciated by -4.9% against the US dollar since 2020 but remained stable from 2024 to 2024. Togo ‘s weaker local currency compared to 2020 makes its exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers starting with American currency.
Togo’s Top Trading Partners
The latest available country-specific data shows that 84.1% of products exported from Togo was bought by importers in: India (17.3% of the Togalese total), Ivory Coast (11.7%), Burkina Faso (11.7%), Mali (7.8%), France (7%), Benin (also 7%), Ghana (6.4%), Niger (4.7%), United States of America (3.6%), Senegal (2.8%), Italy (2.2%) and Pakistan (1.9%).
From a continental perspective, 58.1% of Togo’s exports by value was delivered to fellow African countries while 22.9% was sold to importers in Asia. Togo shipped another 12.9% worth of goods to buyers in Europe.
Smaller percentages went to customers in North America (3.8%), Oceania (2.1%) mostly Australia and New Zealand then Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean (0.13%).
Given Togo’s population of 9.3 million people, its total US$1.37 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $150 for every resident in the West African country. That per-capita dollar amount lags the average $160 for 2023.
Togo’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Togolese global shipments during 2024, at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Togo.
- Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: US$268.1 million (19.6% of total exports)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $146.3 million (10.7%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $121.4 million (8.9%)
- Vehicles: $82.8 million (6.1%)
- Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $79 million (5.8%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: $73.2 million (5.4%)
- Cotton: $72.4 million (5.3%)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: $70.3 million (5.1%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $50.1 million (3.7%)
- Cocoa: $49.2 million (3.6%)
Togo’s top 10 exports accounted for 74.1% of the overall value of its global shipments.
Cocoa was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 69% from 2023 to 2024.
In second place for improving export sales was vehicles via a 64% advance.
Togo’s shipments of plastics, both as materials and items made from plastic, posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 16.5%.
The leading decliner among Togo’s top 10 export categories was mineral fuels including oil pulled down by a -40.3% year-over-year drop.
At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, natural calcium or aluminum phosphates represent Togo’s most valuable exported product at 14.5% of the country’s total. In second place were refined petroleum oils (8.6%), plastic packing goods including lids or caps (8.5%), soya-bean oil cake plus other residues (5.1%), hydraulic cements (also 5.1%), beauty, makeup or skincare preparations (4.8%), motorcycles (4.3%), palm oil (3.9%), uncarded and uncombed cotton (3.8%), then cocoa beans (3.5%).
Products Creating Greatest Trade Surpluses for Togo
The following types of Togolese product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: US$217.4 million (Down by -23% since 2023)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: $70.9 million (Down by -13.5%)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: $52.6 million (Down by -21.7%)
- Cocoa: $47.6 million (Up by 74.3%)
- Feathers, artificial flowers, hair: $41.6 million (Down by -7.2%)
- Cotton: $34.1 million (Up by 86.2%)
- Plaiting products, basketware, wickerwork: $19.3 million (Up by 20.2%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $11.8 million (Up by 60.5%)
- Lead: $8.6 million (Reversing a -$27,000 deficit)
- Felt, yarn, twine, ropes, cables: $3 million (Up by 8%)
Togo has highly positive net exports in the international trade of natural calcium or aluminum phosphates. In turn, these cashflows indicate Togo’s strong competitive advantages under the salt, sulphur, stone and cement product category.
Products Causing Biggest Trade Deficits for Togo
Togo racked up an overall estimated -US$1.86 billion trade deficit for 2024, expanding by 16.5% from -$1.59 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2023.
Below are exports from Togo that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Togo’s goods trail Togolese importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$502.2 million (Up by 114.2% since 2023)
- Vehicles: -$245.6 million (Down by -7.9%)
- Machinery including computers: -$181.1 million (Down by -18%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$146.8 million (Down by -7.2%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$118.6 million (Down by -15%)
- Cereals: -$101.7 million (Down by -0.6%)
- Fertilizers: -$97 million (Up by 17.6%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: -$88.2 million (Up by 111.4%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$79 million (Up by 50%)
- Fish: -$54 million (Up by 25.1%)
Togo has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the mineral fuels-related and vehicles product categories, notably for refined petroleum oils, petroleum gases and cars.
Togo’s Export Companies
One Togolese corporation ranks among the largest businesses on the Forbes Global 2000, namely the regional bank Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.
Wikipedia lists companies from Togo that participate in international trade transactions. Selected examples are shown below.
- ASKY Airlines (airliner)
- Atlantic Bank Group (financial services holding group)
- La Poste du Togo (postal service)
In macroeconomic terms, Togo’s total exported goods represent 4.5% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($30.6 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 4.5% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2024 compares to 5.1% for 2023. Those percentages suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Togo’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Togo’s unemployment rate averaged 3.05% for 2024, down from an average 3.1% in 2023 according to Trading Economics statistics.
Togo’s capital city is Lomé.
See also South Sudan’s Top 10 Exports, Somalia’s Top 10 Exports, Nigeria’s Top 10 Exports and Top African Export Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Africa: Togo. Accessed on January 8, 2026
EXCHANGE-RATES.org CFA BCEAO Franc (XOF) To US Dollar (USD), Exchange Rate History. Accessed on January 8, 2026
Forbes 2020 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on January 8, 2026
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on January 8, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on January 8, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 8, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on January 8, 2026
Wikipedia, Flag of Togo. Accessed on January 8, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on January 8, 2026
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Togo. Accessed on January 8, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on January 8, 2026
Wikipedia, Togo. Accessed on January 8, 2026